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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28496856">Mistletoe Matchmakers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ritalara/pseuds/ritalara'>ritalara</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Academy Era, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:27:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,210</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28496856</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ritalara/pseuds/ritalara</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>On the night before SHIELD Academy holiday break, FitzSimmons can't seem to escape the mistletoe.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Mistletoe Matchmakers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/AGL03/gifts">AGL03</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to AGL for the 2020 FitzSimmons Secret Santa Exchange!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Simmons, are you almost ready?”</p>
<p>Fitz sat flipping through the channels of the small tv in the common area of the suite Jemma shared with three other students while he waited for her to finish getting ready for the holiday party at The Boiler Room.</p>
<p>“Ready to go.”</p>
<p>He turned toward her voice as she answered and couldn’t help the way his cheeks flushed when he caught sight of her. It had been over two years that they had known each other and every once in a while he was reminded how pretty she was in a way that recalled how nervous he had been to strike up their first conversation. Were it not for Professor Shaw’s suggestion that he ask for Simmons’ help on their dielectric polarization project, who knows how long it would have taken him to find something clever enough to say.</p>
<p>But anyhow, here they were, both recently turned 18 and in their final year at the academy - on track to be the youngest graduates in SHIELD history, and he was happy to be celebrating with her and their friends before everyone headed home for the holidays. Fitz’s mind continued to wander as he looked at her until she interrupted.</p>
<p>“Is something wrong?”</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>“Do I look weird? I feel a bit weird all dressed up like this.”</p>
<p>He shook his head fervently, admiring the rosy tint of her lips and the soft shine of her curled hair.</p>
<p>“No you, uh, you look...nice.”</p>
<p>Jemma smiled at him and if he hadn’t already been staring he might not have noticed her cheeks pink up as well.</p>
<p>“Oh! Thank you...”</p>
<p>He looked down at his outfit and back to her.</p>
<p>“I, uh, I hope I’m not underdressed?”</p>
<p>“Not at all - you look... handsome.”</p>
<p>She scrunched up her nose as she smiled again and Fitz stood up, shaking his head back to the fact that they had somewhere to be.</p>
<p>“Ready to go then?”</p>
<p>Jemma nodded and he grabbed his coat next to him on the couch and started towards the front door. She was in front of him and reached out to open the door before turning abruptly.</p>
<p>“Oh, my coat!”</p>
<p>As she stepped back towards her bedroom, Fitz stepped aside to let her pass and as he waited for a brief moment again, a decoration above the door caught his eye.</p>
<p>“What’s that?” he asked Jemma as she returned, fitting her arms into her winter pea coat.</p>
<p>“Mistletoe. Professor Coltrane handed them out after his history of the solstice lecture the other day and Sally put it up I think.”</p>
<p>“Oh.”</p>
<p>He looked at it slightly wearily and Jemma grabbed the door, swinging it open.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry I won’t tell anyone we almost stood under it,” she laughed nervously.</p>
<p>Fitz followed behind her and they began walking briskly away from her building. For some reason, her comment lingered in his brain until she started up a new topic of conversation. By the time they got to the party it had dissipated and Fitz was simply happy to get indoors after their travels through the northeastern winter weather. As they made their way inside they noticed a small pile up at the foot of the stairs where a photo backdrop had been set up and Jemma’s eyebrows arched in delight. She turned to him and Fitz tried to hold back the expression on his face, knowing what she was going to say.</p>
<p>“It's just one picture - and we’re all dressed up, we might as well make good use of it, right? Just think, you can take it home to your mum - she’d love to have a holiday photo of you!”</p>
<p>Simmons had a point there and Fitz sighed, signaling his acquiescence. They got in to the short line for photos and as they waited he noticed the props next to the backdrops they had to choose from.</p>
<p>“Do you have any preference for the theme?” Jemma asked, on the same page as she eyed the set up as well.</p>
<p>“Your choice.”</p>
<p>“Beware of the mistletoe.”</p>
<p>Fitz turned to the voice behind them and grimaced.</p>
<p>“Hi Milton,” Jemma offered politely.</p>
<p>“Wouldn’t want you to get caught unawares, right Simmons?”</p>
<p>“Right - thanks for that.”</p>
<p>Fitz recognized the tight smile she offered back and continued to look at Milton with disdain, hoping he would catch the hint and buzz off.</p>
<p>“Are you headed back home for the holidays then?”</p>
<p>No such luck.</p>
<p>“Yes - we leave the day after tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“Oh, are you two traveling together?”</p>
<p>Jemma looked at Fitz with a genuine smile before nodding back to Milton.</p>
<p>“Oh.”</p>
<p>“Well it looks like our turn then!”</p>
<p>Jemma nodded to the interloper and touched Fitz’s arm as she led them towards the set.</p>
<p>“Winter Wonderland, Christmas Tree or Holiday Elegance?”</p>
<p>The photographer had stepped out from behind the camera and was flipping between the three standing backdrops available to them.</p>
<p>“What do you think - christmas tree?”</p>
<p>Fitz agreed quickly, ready to get the photo over with and join the party, and Jemma nodded to the photographer.</p>
<p>“Christmas tree it is.”</p>
<p>He nodded back and gestured towards the props they had noticed a moment ago.</p>
<p>“Take your pick if you like.”</p>
<p>Fitz rifled through the small container of santa hats and snowman noses and Jemma peaked over.</p>
<p>“Hmm...perhaps we can keep it classic and just take a nice picture?”</p>
<p>“Yeah - I think my mum would prefer that if you don’t mind?”</p>
<p>“Not at all.”</p>
<p>She smiled warmly at him again and Fitz felt his stomach flip. He must be hungry.</p>
<p>Jemma took his arm again and stepped them over to the backdrop. The light was bright and warm as they stepped under it and the photog began to give them instructions.</p>
<p>“Go ahead and stand on the x’s with your feet pointing at each other and then turn your torso out three quarters. Put your back arms around each other's waist and you’ll want to put your other hand on his chest, and yours in your pocket,” the man explained to each of them in turn.</p>
<p>“Do you mind?” Jemma asked.</p>
<p>Fitz was starting to feel a little overwhelmed but decided that simply following instructions was probably the easiest thing to do in the moment.</p>
<p>“Um, no - that’s, that’s fine, we can-here...”</p>
<p>He did as the photographer had said, trying to pose as directed, and held his breath as Jemma’s hand came up to settle on his chest, his back arm loosely situated around her waist. It wasn’t lost on him that he had probably assumed they were a couple but if it didn’t bother her, Fitz wasn’t going to complain.</p>
<p>“Now step closer to each other and we’ll do three poses - first smiling at the camera, then looking up at the mistletoe, and then you can kiss.”</p>
<p>Fitz froze, his eyes locked on Jemma’s as they started to press closer together and he wasn’t sure what expression was on her face.</p>
<p>“How about I kiss you on the cheek?”</p>
<p>He recognized a hint of nervousness in her voice and the tightness in his chest kept him from responding.</p>
<p>“Or we could - we don’t have to, we can just smile.”</p>
<p>“No, that’s, uh, that’s okay, we can - I don’t mind it's just - it's just a kiss on the cheek, right? Nothing I don’t get from my gran each Christmas.”</p>
<p>She chuckled, breaking a bit of the awkwardness, and smiled in confirmation.</p>
<p>“Whenever you’re ready,” the photographer prompted.</p>
<p>Jemma smoothed his collar quickly and then turned to the camera with a smile and Fitz followed suit, then mimicked her as she turned her head up to look at the mistletoe and finally, stood there while she gave him a peck on the cheek.</p>
<p>Before he could register much, the photo guy was ushering them aside to an assistant who prompted them to enter an email that the photos would be sent to the next day. Jemma gave hers and then finally they were off to go find drinks.</p>
<p>A couple hours later Simmons was off at the bathroom and Fitz remained in the group they were chatting with. Unfortunately for him, Milton had made his way over, and was looking directly at him.</p>
<p>“Is Simmons still here?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, just, uh, in the ladies room.”</p>
<p>Milton nodded.</p>
<p>“Can I ask you something?”</p>
<p>“About what?”</p>
<p>“You and Simmons.”</p>
<p>Fitz knew where this was going as it wasn’t the first time someone had started such a conversation with him and his face fell.</p>
<p>“What about us?”</p>
<p>“You two are just friends right - she’s available?”</p>
<p>He hated answering this question - more than anything because he didn’t like the insinuation that it was up to him to give a blessing for someone to ask her out.</p>
<p>“You’d have to ask her if she’s available but yeah, we’re friends.”</p>
<p>“So there’s nothing going on between you?”</p>
<p>He found himself with the urge to answer falsely if for no other reason than to put Milton off but before he could respond further they were interrupted by Jemma ‘s return.</p>
<p>“Fitz, do you want to get another drink?”</p>
<p>She was festively intoxicated and the flush in her cheeks and the smile on her face was becoming.</p>
<p>“Do you need another drink Simmons? I can get you one,” Milton offered.</p>
<p>Before she could answer, another party guest entered the scene.</p>
<p>“Hey! Milton, did you see the message from Professor Shaw’s T.A.?”</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>“She emailed that our paper was never submitted, did you send it?”</p>
<p>Their classmate was looking at Milton with a mild panic and he looked surprised.</p>
<p>“No way, I sent it in hours ago!”</p>
<p>He stepped aside to assess the situation and Jemma grabbed Fitz’s elbow.</p>
<p>“Let’s go,” she whispered.</p>
<p>She led them towards the bar in the middle of the room and Fitz followed happily.</p>
<p>“That was good timing - I don’t know what Milton was saying but you looked like you wanted to take a swing at him,” Jemma said, linking her hand into the crook of his elbow as they got in line at the bar.</p>
<p>“I did?”</p>
<p>“Well, to be fair, you usually look like that whenever you’re talking to Milton.”</p>
<p>“He’s the worst.”</p>
<p>“Oh he’s not that bad.”</p>
<p>She turned towards him as they chatted, fingers lightly gripping the inside of his arm, and Fitz made an intentionally sour face. She laughed and he smiled back with a light chuckle.</p>
<p>“I suppose he is a bit...annoying - I will give you that.”</p>
<p>“So you, uh, you don’t, um - you don't find him...uh, very... pleasant?”</p>
<p>“Hmmm, not particularly, he’s almost TOO agreeable, I’d much prefer a good debate than a conversation with someone who doesn’t have much to say of their own opinion. Besides, if I am being honest, there’s not really anyone here that I find very interesting...besides you of cou- oh our turn!”</p>
<p>They had reached the front of the line and Jemma pulled him along to order their drinks while a perplexed look lingered on his face.</p>
<p>He didn't get a chance to ask exactly what she meant but an hour later when he was walking Simmons back to her building, it was still on his mind. She had taken his arm again as they walked and Fitz found himself getting strangely used to the gesture.</p>
<p>“Hey Simmons?”</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“What did you mean earlier when you said you don’t find anyone very interesting besides me?”</p>
<p>“Oh, just, I suppose, that, well...just that - you’re the most interesting person I know.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Mmmhmm.”</p>
<p>“Well, uh - you too - you’re the most interesting person I know.”</p>
<p>The statement was true but he wasn’t sure what he meant by it. They continued on in semi-comfortable silence until they reached Jemma’s front door, and she sighed as she dropped her hand.</p>
<p>“I had a really nice time tonight - thank you for coming with me to the party.”</p>
<p>Fitz shrugged.</p>
<p>“What else was I gonna do.”</p>
<p>“Not just for that though - for making sure I had a nice time, for taking that photo with me - you were a very good date.”</p>
<p>Jemma reached up on her toes and pecked him on the cheek.</p>
<p>“I’ll send you the pictures when I get them tomorrow. Goodnight Fitz.”</p>
<p>She seemed to pause for a second longer than normal as she smiled at him, but before Fitz could think about it any further, she was closing the door behind her. Another sprig of mistletoe hung above the outside of the door caught his eye and Fitz wondered when the entire campus had become covered in the stuff.</p>
<p>He couldn’t get his mind off of it as he walked back to his own dorm and started to notice that there were bunches of the seasonal plant at nearly every doorway he passed. Someone had really gone all out.</p>
<p>“Professor Shaw?”</p>
<p>As he neared his own building, mistletoe on the mind, he saw his technology advisor standing outside the door, looking oddly...suspicious.</p>
<p>“Are you - are you looking for someone?”</p>
<p>“Fitz!”</p>
<p>The older man turned around to him and not very inconspicuously hid something behind his back.</p>
<p>“Professor, what’s going on?”</p>
<p>“Oh dear.”</p>
<p>Another voice caught Fitz’s attention and he saw Jemma’s biology advisor, Dr. Enoch Coltrane, walking towards them.</p>
<p>“Professor Coltrane?”</p>
<p>“Leopold Fitz.”</p>
<p>“What’s going on here?”</p>
<p>“We uh - Enoch &amp; I, we - we were walking by and noticed this, ugh, just, that, um, this had fallen down.”</p>
<p>Shaw extended his hand with a bunch of mistletoe in it.</p>
<p>“...okay...well, um - you can, you can probably leave it professor. Looks like someone has put it up all over campus actually, so I don't think it...”</p>
<p>For a fleeting moment Fitz wondered if the two professors might be responsible for the mistletoe madness across the campus but that seemed strange even for those two oddballs.</p>
<p>“You’re probably right. Just thought we’d try and put it back up but no matter. How was your night cadet Fitz?”</p>
<p>Professor Shaw set the decoration on the window sill and stepped off the front step.</p>
<p>“Fine. Simmons and I went to the holiday party.”</p>
<p>“Oh, did you?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>“Where is cadet Simmons?”</p>
<p>“She’s um, at her place - I just walked her home.”</p>
<p>“Oh! Good, you, uh - good for you - making sure she got home safely and all that.”</p>
<p>“Yeah...”</p>
<p>“Well, I’ll leave you to it then - have a good night and enjoy your holidays Fitz!”</p>
<p>With that, the two men departed, and Fitz shook his head as he retired to his dorm. Professor Shaw was his advisor and was always asking Fitz how he and Simmons were doing. The man seemed to be a bit young at heart and Fitz had never heard him mention having a family so he supposed he maybe just took an extra interest in the students well-being as he was almost old enough to be most of their parents. After he got into his pajamas and settled into bed, he pulled out his phone, subconsciously checking to see if there were any messages from Simmons, and he was not disappointed.</p>
<p>
  <em> <strong>Let me know when you get back to your room</strong> </em>
</p>
<p>He smiled to himself as he typed back a quick reply</p>
<p>
  <em> <strong>I’m home</strong> </em>
</p>
<p>She replied quickly.</p>
<p>
  <em> <strong>Sweet dreams Fitz</strong> </em>
</p>
<p>His smile grew as he read her message.</p>
<p>
  <em> <strong>You too Jemma</strong> </em>
</p>
<p>She sent back a collection of emoticons and Fitz rolled over, falling asleep with a grin.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>The next morning he awoke to more messages.</p>
<p>
  <em> <strong>I got the pictures - I hope you like them</strong> </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> <strong>Sent them to your email</strong> </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em> <strong>Good luck with packing today!</strong> </em>
</p>
<p>His smile from the night before returned immediately and Fitz grabbed his laptop to pull up his email. Jemma had forwarded the email with a link to the photos, and as they downloaded he brushed his teeth and started tea. When he sat back down at his small desk a few minutes later with his cuppa, he double clicked into the downloaded folder and pulled up the pictures. There were a series of 8 photos and he opened the first one, a shot of the two of them before they had smiled at the camera.</p>
<p>In the picture, Jemma was fixing his collar, and he was looking at her - the expression on his own face unmistakeable.</p>
<p>Fitz’s stomach dropped as he looked at himself, and he sat at the desk, awash in a confusing array of feelings.</p>
<p>He was looking at Simmons like she hung the moon.</p>
<p>Fitz clicked out of the photo and on to the next, immediately needing to know how the others looked.</p>
<p>The next two were of them smiling, and Simmons was, if he was not mistaken, positively beaming. After that, there were two of them looking up at the mistletoe, and then a sixth photo where he was still looking up and she was looking at him.</p>
<p>Something had taken over because he almost thought he saw a familiar look of affection on her face as he had seen on his own.</p>
<p>What in the merry mistletoe had gotten into him?</p>
<p>Finally, the last two photos were of her kissing him on the cheek, and Fitz’s heart continued to thump as he looked at them.</p>
<p>In the last photo, Jemma’s foot was popped up behind her suddenly a flash of some line from a romantic comedy that they had once watched struck his brain.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Is that true?” he had asked her when one of the characters told another that the sign of a good kiss was a foot pop.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I don’t think so,” she had laughed - “certainly not in any biological studies I’ve read...but I suppose it is a nice visual cue in a film that the character is enjoying the kiss?”</em>
</p>
<p>He looked back at the photo, her foot clearly posed behind her and his insides tightened again. He quickly shuffled through the other photos again, looking closely at the one of her looking at him, and then finally, circled back to that of him looking at her.</p>
<p>Damn.</p>
<p>Even if Fitz had wanted to deny to himself what he was feeling, the evidence was right in front of him.</p>
<p>He was absolutely smitten with her.</p>
<p>As hormones flooded his brain, the unfortunate question of whether she might possibly feel the same swirled amongst his own newly discovered thoughts.</p>
<p>Fitz opened up the photos again, and by the time he had gone through them six or seven more times, he felt even more confused. He settled back in his chair, forgetting his tea was in his other hand, and jumped as some of it sloshed on to his leg. As he jostled against the desk, he noticed his phone again - with the message from Simmons still on his screen.</p>
<p>
  <em>I got the pictures - I hope you like them</em>
</p>
<p>Was she trying to tell him something?</p>
<p>Fitz knew if he was off base he was likely to make a complete ass of himself but the all consuming sensation of recognizing his own feelings for her had his mind working overtime.</p>
<p>Usually, when something had his brain in overdrive, the person he would go to to help process things was Simmons.</p>
<p>He had to see her.</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>
  <em> <strong>Need to talk - can I come over?</strong> </em>
</p>
<p>Jemma stared at the message to which she had quickly responded in affirmation as she sat nervously on her bed.</p>
<p>The urgency in Fitz’s text told her he must have picked up on something. Her heart tightened in her chest as she wondered what he was thinking or if he understood what she was trying to tell him.</p>
<p>She had spent weeks trying to figure out how to broach the subject of her burgeoning feelings and it had struck her when they made plans to go to the party together that she would find her chance to show him somehow the things she couldn’t find the right words to say.</p>
<p>Jemma had hoped all evening that he would pick up on how affectionate she was being and had lingered at her door wondering if he might catch on enough to prompt a good night kiss on his own. When that hadn’t happened she had thought it might be a lost cause, but when the photos came through and she saw her own smitten face reflected back to her along with her silly pose...she was far from deterred. But it was when she had come across the photo of him looking at her while she straightened his collar that she dared to hope he just might feel something on his end as well.</p>
<p>There was a knock on the door and she jumped up to answer, moving quickly to the front entry and swinging the door open eagerly.</p>
<p>Fitz stood there, slightly flushed, and she smiled at him immediately. His eyes widened and his chest moved his breath in and out heavily as he took her in.</p>
<p>“Jemma...”</p>
<p>She fought the urge to reach out and pull him towards her but there was no mistaking the energy between them.</p>
<p>“I got the photos.”</p>
<p>“Did you like them?”</p>
<p>He nodded and she grinned.</p>
<p>“I particularly enjoyed the one where...where I am straightening your collar, and...”</p>
<p>“...and I am looking at you like I want to kiss you?”</p>
<p>She sucked in a breath and quickly nodded in response.</p>
<p>“...yeah, that one...” she whispered.</p>
<p>Fitz’s gaze went quickly from her eyes to her mouth and back again, and without warning, he lunged forward, his mouth meeting hers as his hand anchored at her waist.</p>
<p>Jemma was taken aback, but her instincts served her well and her own hand came up to his chest as she tried to recover her senses enough to kiss him back.</p>
<p>The moment was brief, and Fitz breathed heavily as he pulled back for air, settling his forehead against hers.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, I wasn’t quite prepared to-”</p>
<p>Jemma cut him off, pressing her lips back against his again, pulling Fitz closer by the fabric of his coat. He responded in kind, tightening both arms around her torso, and she settled into his arms as she continued.</p>
<p>“FitzSimmons?!”</p>
<p>Jemma regrettably parted from her new snogging partner at the noise and looked out at the sidewalk toward the voice.</p>
<p>“Professor Shaw!”</p>
<p>She stepped back, slightly embarrassed to be seen in this state by one of their advisors, and Fitz jumped, turning around toward him as well.</p>
<p>“Professor! Sorry, we um - we didn’t-”</p>
<p>“NO!”</p>
<p>He had stood there almost dumbfounded for a second before he responded and he was still stuck in place as he spoke.</p>
<p>“No, don’t be sorry, you are - this is - no, no, no, no need to be sorry at all. Do NOT be sorry - this is...this fantastic. I mean, great, for, for you two - I just - I’m happy for you. You...you two should...you...you are - this is - you don’t need to be sorry at all.”</p>
<p>The smile on his face had an unmistakable quality of pride to it and Jemma looked at him for a moment before turning to Fitz, who also had a very quizzical expression on as he eyed the man.</p>
<p>“You just - you two just...just, um, keep...keep doing what you were doing and...just, you just, you let me know if you well - no, just, um, have a great holiday okay? Have a great holiday. A GREAT holiday.”</p>
<p>He didn’t move from the spot where he was standing, almost beaming at them, and Fitz spoke finally.</p>
<p>“Maybe we should go inside.”</p>
<p>Jemma nodded and took his hand, waving at their professor as she shut the door and they lingered in the entryway.</p>
<p>“Is he always that strange?” Jemma asked.</p>
<p>“Sort of...but I swear - I saw him last night and I think...I think he and Professor Coltrane might be responsible for all the mistletoe everywhere...?”</p>
<p>Jemma looked up at the one still hung in her own doorway and smiled.</p>
<p>“If so it seems like they went to a lot of trouble,”</p>
<p>Her eyes met his again.</p>
<p>“We probably shouldn’t waste it.”</p>
<p>---</p>
<p>
  <span class="u"> <em>Several Years Later</em> </span>
</p>
<p>“Okay, who’s this one from?” Jemma asked.</p>
<p>“I’m not sure, the card just says ‘To FS From DS’,” Fitz responded to his new wife.</p>
<p>“Hmmm...”</p>
<p>Jemma watched as he opened the small box and unfolded the set of papers inside. The first two were what seemed to be each of their own DNA sequences.</p>
<p>“Oh, maybe this is one of those things where they map your DNA code on to a piece of jewelry for your spouse?”</p>
<p>“Is that a thing people do?”</p>
<p>She nodded and reached out for the papers.</p>
<p>“It must be someone from SHIELD, who else would have our DNA?”</p>
<p>“I hope someone else doesn’t have our DNA.”</p>
<p>“Wait, who is Deke Shaw?”</p>
<p>Jemma had come to the third form and saw another set of DNA results on the page.</p>
<p>“Professor Shaw?”</p>
<p>“From The Academy?”</p>
<p>Finally, a fourth piece of paper came into view, with a short note written on it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Fitz &amp; Simmons -</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I wanted to wait until things were official to share this with you, and hope that after you have some time to process it, you’ll contact me.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Congratulations on the wedding &amp; have a wonderful time in The Seychelles as my wedding gift to you.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Your grandson,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Deke Shaw</em>
</p>
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